The National Education Policy and Social Work Education in India: Possibilities and Prospects

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to transform India’s educational framework, pedagogy, accessibility, assessment parameters, and learner-based outcomes. Based on the NEP, in 2023, the School of Social Work at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), a pioneering social sciences university in India and Asia, launched its first Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program at the Mumbai campus. This chapter examines a few core components of the NEP and their implications for social work education and practice. It also highlights some of the BSW curriculum-building participatory processes at TISS, as the authors of this chapter have been actively involved in different aspects of BSW curriculum development. The chapter concludes by suggesting ways to strengthen the social work education program, especially within the context of the NEP.